Fear

Why do we let little things hinder us from progressing to the next level in our lives? What is it that causes us to not fulfill the plans outlined for us? How is it that we envy everyone around us who has made great strides toward success and we ourselves are spectators, watching life as it passes? What keeps us from making money from our own businesses? What keeps us from starting a business? What keeps us from asking questions that will propel us to the next step in our lives? What makes us spend money on unnecessary materials that make other people money and we take none in for the building of our own successful business? Why do we walk into a room full of people with the know-how and sit or stand against the wall without communicating with them?

The questions can go on and on like the energizer bunny but there is one little four letter word that answers these questions and the many others like them-FEAR! As I held my new born baby the other day it was apparent that she feared the loud noise flowing from her other two sisters in the room and she jumped whenever I shifted my hands from underneath her giving her the impression she was going to fall. I can wave my hands in front of her and jump up and down; I can put the most horrible looking stuffed animal in front of her and she never flinches but with loud noises and the simulation of falling there is the eyes bucking and the arms flailing. Even with my two older children it is evident that they are afraid of the same things but as they get older the more they fear. Why?

Well fear is a progressive state of being whereby noticing that the youngest is only afraid of two states of being and the middle child is afraid of a few more and the oldest is afraid of many. It is apparent that these are learned fears taught to them by others and ourselves because of the label attached to them. Example, my oldest daughter is afraid of bugs no matter what type they are and my middle child is not whereas my youngest could care less. My oldest child is afraid of bugs because we taught her that they bite and are bad-kill them is cliché no matter what kind; however, my middle child is not because we have not taught her this nor do we allow the oldest one to teach her any differently. The baby does not understand yet.

You see what I conclude from watching, reading, and living is that we only have two innate fears, falling and loud sounds as children, whereas we are taught the rest. Some fears are more pronounced than others but we have nothing to fear especially those of us who have found the Source of our Strength being Christ who is both Lord and Savior. Confrontation is the best method for overcoming the fear of public places as well as any of the other fears we might have. Why should we hinder ourselves from walking into our own when we have so many other obstacles to clear?

What I have done for me is to step out of the boat into the water and if I begin to sink I know who to call to reach down as I stretch my hand upward to the hills from which all my help has come and continues to come. Fear not man because he is created just like us; fear not animals, but do be cautious, for we have dominion; and fear not situations because they can be overcome. Keep looking up! Don’t look down for the vision stops but when you look up there is nothing but space. Write the vision and make it plain for without a vision, your vision, you perish.


I Can Make It

Youth

Tonight as I attended my best friend’s daughter’s high school graduation one thought came to mind, the troubles the young people are facing and are going to face in the many years to come. One by one as each received his or her diplomas signified triumph in one area and possible defeats in another area-life.

I traced back to my graduation day many years ago, say 22 years to be exact, and had far less troubles as I recollect than what tonight’s graduates are going to deal with. Let’s look at comparisons:

Today’s graduating males are faced with over-aggressive females. We use to chase the girls and talk game as we say however; today’s females are much more aggressive. They initiate the conversations as well as other things without thinking about the consequences to follow.

The bodies of today’s female are much more mature at younger ages than when I was in school. Some 15 year olds look like full-grown women while the males are just enjoying #1 without any complaints.

Sex, something once regarded as sacred because it was so difficult to even be alone with a girl back then, is common enough without regards to having a child out of wedlock. A high percentage of them won’t go to college because they will have to get jobs to pay for childcare expenses.

Parents are much younger than when I was in school. Many of them are still children themselves.

So what is there to do when you are a young man with raging hormones and these now robust starlet creatures are just throwing themselves at your mercy or if you are a female and these now well defined young men tell you everything you want to hear? A not-so-easy-to-do word, resist.

Easier said than done especially when there is no one around to chastise you or tell you that it only takes one act of passion or lust to ruin a future. That it only takes one irresponsible act to change every dream into a reality of long work hours and perhaps frequent visits to the nearest health facility for treatment.

Take time to think about what you are doing and envision the outcome. Just maybe you will think about what you are doing.


I Can Make It

Marriage and Divorce

Today is a reflection on one of the more unstable institutions in today's world. It is more unstable than the stock market, more volatile than gasoline fumes, and its yielding results-divorce-has probably risen more than today's oil prices. What is this combination? Marriage and divorce.

Seems like marriage only lasts for 3 to 6 months then divorce introduces itself for the most absurd reasons except for infidelity. Couples get divorced because one did not cook the eggs just right, or one did not fix the handle on the kitchen cabinet, or one did not speak to the other in the right tone, or one went to get gas but made a stop at the store and forgot to mention that stop. Just totally any reason to get free but end up in most cases wishing they could get back with the other person.

What happened to bible-based relationships where it was good when the man found his good thing and she was glad to be found? What happened to the man finding the woman and not the woman chasing the man like a lion running down prey? What happened to the unity of family where strength dwelled and peace harmonized with joy to bring about the upbringing of stable children? What happened to the institution of marriage itself existing as the union between male and female as God would have it to be? What happened to those put in positions to govern the laws of the land only to establish their own laws and beliefs? Where is the foundation for marriage to stand? The answer to these questions exists in the simple fact that we have totally forgotten about the One who created us, the One who allows us to have freedom of choice, the One who stated that it was not good for man to be alone so he created him a female, not another male or vise-versa; we have used our increase in knowledge to think ourselves more highly than we should and forgotten that we cannot create anything but total devastation and destruction with this mentality. We have become lost and confused and to make matters worse than what they are, God is giving us over to a reprobated mind-void of judgement-so that we want die from explosions of war but from the implosions of the war being lost inside our minds and hearts.

That being said the only thing left to say is that where there is unity strength resides but where there is division weakness abides.

I Can Make It

Discouragement

There are so many items that make an individual doubt himself or herself. Nothing is more trying than the stress involved on the job while trying to take care of a family. Where does it stop? No answer still as you may try over and over again to make it over the hump. I find that my hair is more gray, my health more stricken, and my life on a downward spiral due to being discouraged because no matter how much done it is never enough. Maybe you are going through the same thing but I must say that in order to defeat being discouraged some major decisions have to be made and some of those decisions will not sit well with others. A change has to take place and it begins with us. Why is that you ask? Good question. Look at it this way....no one can make it better except you yourself by changing attitudes about the day. I now think more positive than negative due to the fact that I cannot hear from above while in a negative state of mind. There is enough negativity throughout the day for everyone than to have mine added to the ooze of negative vibes throughout. In short control the day and don't let the day be in control. Turn the lemon of today into the lemonade of tomorrow.


I Can Make It

Don't Give Up on Life

Has it ever crossed your mind to just throw in the towel and quit? Too many obstacles and way too much stress has become too much to handle? I remember as a child having so many barriers to break through that the pressure was compared to the collapse of the hull of a submarine that had gone too deep due to human error, evasive maneuvering, or war. Problems with health, problems with school, problems with family, pressure trying to establish goals, pressure from supposed-to-be friends, not having this or not having that, etc. Now fast forward to adulthood, allowing all of those things to follow along with the pressures of just being an adult. Get the picture.

My advice is to detach from the past because it is just history to be used as a reminder of where you have come from but does not dictate where you are going. The past is a learning instrument that serves as training tools for your future. Many mistakes are made everyday we live but the key is to live. We may end relationships, marriages, associations; we may even quit jobs but if we give up on life how do we know what the end is going to be? Have you ever heard of the story about the gold miner or miners who were digging for gold and found a significant amount of the precious metal and stopped digging at that point? Well if they had not quit and continued on another three feet they would have hit what is known as the mother load. I said that to say this, the plan for our lives contains many an obstacle in which some of them do make us want to give up and lay down and die but I say keep moving ahead. We seek the easy way out of the situations thrown at us by either diving into substances that will eventually kill us or we kill ourselves thinking the problems will be solved once and for all. It still does not end and how do we know the outcome if we cheat ourselves out of this great adventure known as life.

The truth is suffering as well as not suffering is a part of living and the solution is to align ourselves with the one who can help us through the tough times. Afflictions are many but there is deliverance from them all if we just put our trust in the right place. As I also have been tempted to just lay down and die in times past, I can yet hear a voice telling me "all is well and will be alright if you just put your trust in me and not let your circumstances stand in the way of the relationship that I am wanting to have with you". As he has spoken to me these words he also speaks them to you. As he sits at the head of all things great and small so does he sit at the head of our minute circumstances which are trying to snuff the life right out of us. If we can just remember that the battle is not ours but his; if we can just hold out to hold on to see what the end is going to be; if we can just keep our eyes focused on things above and not below; if we can just lay aside our past which are the weights holding us down; if we can just see and stretch out our hands in faith; if we can keep moving forward without looking back or trying to bring our past with us; if we can gather our minds and trust him; and if we can allow ourselves to move ourselves out of the way so that the Lord can do all that he wants to do for us, with us, and through us then we can make it through any barrier and over any obstacle.

Either life and its circumstances will control us or we will control them through the One who controls all. The choice is both yours and mine and I have made Jesus my choice. Will you make the right choice?

I Can Make It